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V 

A Colored Max’s Exposttfox 

-OF —— 

THE ACTS AND DOINGS 


OF THE- 



From !lF>65 to lSTCJ, 

-AND- 


ITS PROBABLE 


OVERTHROW BY PRESIDENT HAYES’ 
SOUTHED POLICY. 


Commencing with a Description of the Preedmen’s Bureau 
and Savings and Trust Company, as Political Ma¬ 
chines, and Concluding with President 
Hayes’ Southern Policy. 

IN SEVEN NOTES. 





OHN 



HUFTEN, 



•I Af'K.-ON'vii.i.K, Fla. 


JACKSONVILLE, I-LA.: 

(ribxoa x Druufe. Steam But>k anti Job Mjipiv. at! S: ill Hay St not, 
iS7~. 














TO REPLACE LOST COPY 

APS 1 S 797) 


■■'.I.; 


13 / o • y l 



^.RDCdr 4? - N 


DEC 18 1914 



AVCt , 

•^ 7 -^ /—< 


PREFACE. 


Tho object of the Author, in publishing tlieso notes, is to 
place upon record tho acts and doings of that party that was 
elevated and maintained in power in these Southern States by 
negro suffrage; and that an intelligent and impartial public may 
understand and possibly judge the cause of that long reign of 
terror and political disorder and strife, which this section has 
been cursed with since the days of reconstruction. It is for an 
unbiased public to judge of the honesty and sincerity of that 
stock of office-seekers that took possession of the country im¬ 
mediately after tho war, and, whoso mal-administrations have 
nearly bankrupted every Southern State, or forced them iu 
self defence to repudiate the fraudulent debts they created upon 
the people, without their consent, or from which they, never 
have or ever will receive any benefit. 

The Author, being colored himself, may have been rather 
par tail in exonerating the colored people from blame, where 
they mayjhave deserved it, but the reasons and arguments set 
forth are open to the criticism of all, and no doubt an impar¬ 
tial judge will not hesitate in making up his mind or in draw¬ 
ing his conclusions, for there is nothing that he has stated 
that he did not feel in duty bound to stato in compiling these 
notes, and to do justice to the subject, after considering the 
record Radicalism has made iu those States, where its authority 
has been absolute. 














Note—T he author regrets that in this first edition of these notes there lias ap¬ 
peared a few grammatical and typographical errors, which, at the time of publishing 
the same, was almost unavoidable; and where such errors do occur in the pentsal of 
these notes, it is the desire of the author that the quaint, sensitive and pedantic critic 
will not allow his sensibilities to be shocked by the want of euphonic harmony in 
coming in contact with such words, but that he will please supply such deficiencies 
to suit his taste and scholastic precision. 


NOTE FIRST. 


NOTE FIRST IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE FREED-UEN’s BUREAU AND 
UNION LEAGUE. 

I propose to write an account of Republicanism at tlio 
South, from 1865 to the close of 1876. And in doiug this, I 
shall endeavor to express the truth, without fear or favor to 
tiny one, bearing in mind, at the same time, that no matter how 
truthful or candid the political history of those years may bo 
narrated, it will meet with opposition and denial from all those 
who have taken part in its shameful and corrupt practices. 
Nor am I insensible to the amount of chagrin and false accusa¬ 
tion that this account will produce front those who are igno¬ 
rant and blind followers of the party, or from those intelligent, 
but corrupt leaders, whose selfish ends and motives may bo 
somewhat thwarted and exposed; and while I also, in this 
connection, announce myself an independent thinker and actoi, 
for all futurity, I shall be liberal enough to accord the same 
privilege to every citizen of this great commonwealth, leaving 
all argument to their careful deliberation, and tho conclusions 
to their honest jndgmout. 

It will be remembered that, at the close of the war, in 186.), 
the South was immediately overrun by a class of adventurers 
from the North, who saw at once a vast field for political spec¬ 
ulation, that would eventually result in elevating them to some 
high political position in the State or National Government, 
and, at the same time, increaso their pecuniary condition, both 
present and future; and with a foresighteducss and judgment 
known only to the ynnkeo, they went to work with a viow of 
attaining this end. The introduction of that institution called 
the Freedmen’s Bureau was truly opportune for the furtherenco 
of this purpose, as will be better understood iu the sequel. Tho 
class of men that were appointed to manage its affairs and su¬ 
perintend its operations in these States, were, inmost instances, 
irresponsible creatures, destitute of moral principles, and whose 
chief aim was to work it in a spirit prejudicial to the whites, 
and to please the fancy and caprice of the ignorant blacks, 






















































G 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


Tho law creating this Bureau was, in the main, difficult and* 
intricate in its meaning. It mado its officers, trustees, guar¬ 
dians and judges, and gave them military and civil jurisdiction! 
over the affairs of the people at the same time. They could! 
sit as military dictators if it suited their faucy, and deal sum¬ 
marily with all who dared to appear before them, regarding the 
rights of the complainant or defendant according to their hu¬ 
mor or whims. They being in most instances officers or meri¬ 
torious privates from the Union Army, they came among tho 
people with hearts ill prepared to do right to the one class, 
and well prepared to do wrong to the other; nor could it be ex¬ 
pected that they should like or have much love for that soction 
of country that they had so recently devastated, overrun 
and laid waste with fire and sword. 

The whites the}' particularly hated because they had fought 
against them, and in many instances had left them minus a 
leg, arm, or hand, a token of remembrance not easily forgotten, 
and in the blacks they saw a golden opportunity to gratify 
their malignant hate against tho late rebels, as well as a glori¬ 
ous field for speculation present and future. Thus their courts 
wore thronged daily with petty suitors with complaints that an 
ordiuary domestic sire would scorn to notice among tho small¬ 
est of children. 

These frivolous quarrels and complaints they often encouraged 
between the whites and blacks, because in almost every instance 
it resulted beneficially to them in a pecuniary sense, from fines 
and a kind of quasi judicial confiscation of rebel personalty. 
Such questions as to who should walk on tho inside or outside 
of tho sidewalks, between white and colored females; contro¬ 
versies bewteen former masters and servants, where the lie was 
passed during some heated dispute that tended to wound the 
feelings of the nation’s wards, received special cognizance, and 
was often made matter of record in this court. Petit larceny, 
assault and battery, cheating and swindling, and an innu¬ 
merable host of common law offences were tried, condemned, 
and punished without having any evidence that tended to tra¬ 
verse the first fact sworn to. In hundreds of instances it was use¬ 
less to make complaint, for with judges with such feelings, minds 
and hearts, the intelligent portion of the community looked up¬ 
on the courts with horror and disgust, while these agents or offi- 


ereedmen’s bureau and union league. 7 

cers of the Freedmen’s Bureau were possessed with a judicial 
authority—without limit or bound. They were also looked up¬ 
on by the colored people as their guardians and benefactors. 
The commissary stores that were placed under their immediate 
control and direction had a divine effect in its dispensation, for 
its operation proved twice blessed-it blessed him that gave and 
lie that received. The freedman was satisfied with only half of 
what the Government allowed him; the agent was truly satisfied 
to have the opportunity of pocketing the remainder for his own 
use, and in this way there was but little misunderstanding be¬ 
tween guardian and ward: but on the contrary, the ward° had 
the iitmost faith and confidence in tho guardian, aud the 
guardian was confident of using his ward in the bright future 
that loomed up before him. 

Being thus situated, these agents were enabled to learn the 
strange and peculiar habits and dispositions of the freedmen, 
as well as to take advantage of their natural infirmities and 
credulous nature. They found them extremely ignorant, cred¬ 
ulous and superstitious, easily lead and duped, and above all, 
full of fancy and high notions about their freedom and liberty! 
There is no wonder that a class of people, raised and brought 
up as the slaves of the South—ignorant, illiterate, and irrespon¬ 
sible in every sense of the word—should have fallen into many 
errors, and committed manifold blunders at everything they un¬ 
dertook or tried to do; nor will an unpredjudiced public condemn 
tho acts and doings of a class of people who, when made free, 
were too ignorant to understand rightly what it meant. 

In thousands of instances, it was their solemn belief that free¬ 
dom meant a total exemption from toil, the hardship of life, 
and every kind of responsibility, and when, through the maehina! 
lion and influence of tho Freedmen’s Bureau, these ideas and no¬ 
tions were strengthened with the brightest hopes of tho future, ' 
they are rather to be pitied for their mistakes than condemned. 

It was through this agency the colored people of the South « 
were taught their first lessons in politics. In secret conclaves, 
and dismal hovels, under cover of night, tho ears of the igno¬ 
rant blacks were made to hear sweet things of a heavenly na¬ 
ture. There tho beauties, the grandeur and glory of the electo¬ 
ral franchise were painted in their richest colors, tinged in every 
hue that would suit the imagination and exalt the soul, in an- 

































































































































. 





















































8 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM, 


tifipation of the honors and dignities of a golden future. The 
old slaves of sixty and seventy years, with their broad grins 
and toothless gums, were there, drinking in inspiration that an¬ 
imated the soul, and transported with inexpressible rapture 
to a youthful Eden of endless rest and ease. The old women 
and their -dusky maidens looked upon these agents as demi¬ 
gods, and stood ready at all times to resent any insinuation 
touching their honesty or sincerity, with wholesale abuse, not 
unmixed at times with imprecations that could possibly be un¬ 
derstood to mean anything less than the other side of purgato¬ 
ry. It was in these secret meetings that the fabulous tales of 
C. forty acres and a mule originated, and confiscation ideas made 
1 some of the leading subjects for discussion. Lands were appor- 
[ tioned by imagination, and fine rebel mansions seized by hope, 
j Gentlemen of African descent saw themselves rearbacked with 
all the pomp and dignity of princes in their old masters’ car¬ 
riages, happy with the thought of being monarch of all they sur¬ 
veyed. Civil right bills were to be passed by Congress, that 
■would allow them to occupy front seats in white churches, sit 
1 at the same table with their former masters, and be respected 
\ with all the modern civilities in their, parlors and drawing 
<-rooms. 

Besides these illusive notions and fanciful dreams of their 
new situation, there were other ideas of a far more serious na¬ 
ture that insinuated themselves into their heads, and which have 
brought forth an incalculable amount of evil to the whole race. 
It was thought among about three fourths of the colored popu¬ 
lation that freedom meant ease and comfort, a release from the 
cares and responsibilities of life, a state of idleness, indolence, 
and vagrancy, and that all would go -well, work or play. These 
ideas were made the more reasonable, when wo consider tho 
charitable assistance this class received from the Government 
during the first year after their emancipation, as a part of the 
operation of the Freedmen’s Bureau; and, with these strange 
ideas, came also a great change in the domestic relations be¬ 
tween the two races. 

Thousands of families were seriously embarrassed by the sud¬ 
den and unexpected changes that took place between former 
owners and servants. Men and women left their employment 
without a moment’s preparation or warning, and without know- 


ereedmen’s bureau and union league. 


0 


ing where they were going or what they would do. Farm hands 
were seized with the same malady, and left the country in tor¬ 
rents, to enjoy the pleasures of city life, there, as they thought, 
to be no more awakened at early dawn by the old farm horn. 
Thus there was a general stampede and exodus from the coun¬ 
try, and an obnoxious influx into the cities and towns. Tho 
Freedmen’s Bureau agencies were beseiged daily by tens of 
thousands oi hungry souls waiting to be fed, as a right they 
claimed from the Government for having been made free. 

From the effects and consequences of this change the coun¬ 
try has never recovered. Plantations and farms by thousands 
were allowed to grow up in weeds for the want of labor to culti¬ 
vate them, for colored hands could no longer be bossed and 
overseered, from a false notion that it savored too much of tho 
slavery from which they had just escaped. 

Tho domestic servants of the cities and towns thought it be¬ 
neath the dignity of a free and independent people to be found 
any longer attending to their accustomed domestic duties under 
any contract, stipulation, or pay; and these false notions of free¬ 
dom were not dissipated until the Freedmen’s Bureau ceasod its 
operation, and the people left in a worse condition than it had 
found them. The country having been recently layed waste by 
the ravage of the war, and every avenue of industry and pros¬ 
perity crippled or suspended, hard times set in, as a, legitimate 
sequence, and carried thousands away from starvation and 
want. 

Through all these changes and vicissitudes of the freedmen, 
could be found the scliemy adventurer or lank-jawed carpet-bag¬ 
ger, still engaged in inculcating ideas and notions of the future 
political greatness of these newly emancipated slaves, and what 
1 Le Government intended to do for them; their chief object being 
to gain the confidence of the people for speculative purposes 
and for future, use, knowing as they did, that their ignorance 
and want of experience fitted them as pliant tools, to bo lead 
and controlled for every purpose consistent with their, vague 
ideas of freedom. By such teachings, a universal mistrust per¬ 
vaded tho entire population, as to all acts of a native white or 
former master. They were taught that no good could come out 
of Nazareth, and that every act of a former master, no matter 
how fair and honorable it might seem, was to be regarded as a 






































































































































































































10 


SOUTHERN RErUBLlUANISlf.- 


bait to re-enslave them, and reduce them to the same status 
from which they had just been delivered. Among the chief ar¬ 
guments used, and which had the most powerful effect in con- 
troling their passions and swaying their judgment, were such as- 
“I fought to malie you free,” “I fought four years for you col¬ 
ored people;” “we yankees, as the rebels called us, have always 1 
been your only friends,” and a thousand other arguments that 
tended to gain their confidence and rule their passions. 

Besides these official agents of the Freedmen’s Bureau, there 
was another class of pecksniffs who canted affectionate language 
through their nose, accompanied with a long puritanical twang 
that would make an angel llap its wings and weep in sorrow. 
This force was auxiliary to the Freedmen’s Bureau agency, and 
was capable of descending to a lower degree of infamy to carry 
out their purposes than most of the Bureau officials. 

The work assigned these nondescripts, was to visit the huts 
and hovels of the ignorant and illiterate freedmen in the rural 
districts, but, like Nicodemus, always by night. There the game 
of mock social equality was carried on to perfection and to an 
unlimited degree. They would sit at the same table with the 
dusky sire, and treat his ebony progeny with the utmost civility. 
His deportment and manner were exceedingly captivating, 
trimmed and fringed in almost every instance, with a Pharisai¬ 
cal sanctity. They could fondle and dandle colored babies up¬ 
on their knees, and wipe the tears from their eyes with their 
•own soft handkerchiefs, and if that did not suffice, they would 
impress a gentle kiss upon the dark brow of the fretful pigmy, 
to the inexpressible delight of the fond mother. 

Then they would begin their long tale of what they did to 
free them, and place them on an equality with all men; that 
they abhorred any distinction on account of color or raco, and 
would not be satisfied until their colored countrymen were 
recognized upon a complete social and political equality with 
all men; that they would soon have the power of making such 
laws as they wanted, if they would only look out and elect the 
right kind of men to office; and among these right kind of 
men they, themselves, were the most prominent and fitting can¬ 
didates. They were also a very religious set of individuals, 
and were always in their places at the meeting houses. Their 
prayers were exceedingly long, and directod exclusively 


freedmen’s bureau and union league. 


11 


to the passions of the people. They thanked God that the- 
colored people were free, that their poor hearts had been made 
to run over with joy and gladness at the joyous sight before 
their eyes. That they now, like good old Simeon, had seen with 
their own eyes that which they had prayed for in the North 
years ago, and now, instead of desiring to depart in peace as 
that good old saint of old, they desired to stay and speculate a 
little upon so glorious a salvation. They also could preach 
good things to the colored people, and quote passages of Scrip¬ 
ture to suit their case. They were also school masters of ex¬ 
traordinary ability; they professed to be able to take thorn 
from the alphabet through every rule in grammar in three 
months time, and in six they could solve auy problem in geom¬ 
etry or trigonometry and be first-class belles letlres scholars in 
one year from date. 

They were really a wonderful set, a combination of prodi¬ 
gies, so to speak, among the colored people wlierover they went 
or located for a season. They also became the colored peo¬ 
ple’s oracles, to be consulted .on all occasions—upon every sub¬ 
ject of importance or non-importance—and their answers and 
instructions were like the laws of the Medes and Persians. 
Their property—real, personal and mixed—consisted of a car¬ 
pet-bag, containing a shirt and a half, and an army blanket, 
and sometimes a great coat. They seemed to be averse to too 
much luggage, as it tended to obstruct their easy flight in case 
of danger. Their pedigree no one knew; it was rumored that 
they were distant relatives of that mysterious personage men¬ 
tioned in the holy scriptures, by the name of Melchisedcc; for 
truly they seemed to be without beginning or ending, and past 
rinding out, unless^ by diligent search among the archives of 
sing-sing, or some other distinguished institution of the same 
order. Then they were .also the sublime-grand-worshipful mas- 
tors of the Union League, an institution conceived in sin and^ 
born iu iniquity; a pandora box of mischief and rascality. 

This institution was a secret concern that required an oath on 
entering, and another in leaving the order, and two or threo 
additional oaths during the meetings, to make it more solemn 
and impressive to the members in particular, and the order gen¬ 
erally. The meeting places, on all occasions, wero in some up¬ 
stairs room of some out-of-the-way building, and called a lodge, 

































































12 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


a thing that a colored freodman never heard of before the war, 
and, if he did, he had no idea or conception of what it meant. 
In this lodge, so styled, and no doubt appropriately so too, the 
old and young freedmen assembled at regular appointed times, 
as the ancients used to repair to Delphi, to learn of the oracles 
the news, and to receive fresh orders for their future conduct. 
In this lodge room there was a center table, covered with a 
largo black cloth, and on this table, were placed two broad 
swords and the Holy Bible, and, to make the scene inore sol¬ 
emn, there was also hanging in folds, opposite the table against 
the wall, the United States flag. The meetings wero invaria¬ 
bly opened with a long prayer, followed with a long lecture. 
Then came tbe reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, 
after which new business was in order, which new business 
meant the introduction of candidates for membership, and for 
carrying them through the sweariDg process. At the fall of the 
gavel the ante room door was opened and a dozen or more 
frightened and trembling freedmen would bo marched into the 
sanctum, when his sublime-grand-worshipfulship-would rise and 
begin to explain the mysteries of the League, and what tho 
lodge and members expected of them, if they should be aduiit- 
ed as members, and how binding the oath was upon con¬ 
science, all of which they were enjoined to promise before they 
could be sworn and received into the order. While this cere¬ 
mony was going on, tho utmost silence prevailed. All along 
the side benches sat old and young freedmen, some with sol¬ 
emn countenances, and others with anxious and interested 
looks; but few understood what it all meant. They wero told 
that all this meant freedom, and that was sufficient, especially 
when told so by one who knew all the roads and by-paths to 
freedom. When these lectures were over thou came the swear¬ 
ing-in process, and a general explanation of the swords and 
Bible; the grip and pass word was given that would enable the 
possessor to go all over the country, and bo admitted as a man 
and brother. When these solemn duties -were over, his sub¬ 
lime-grand-worshipfulship would tell them of the Canaan to 
which they were traveling, if they would only be true to 
themselves and trust the right men to lead them through the 
wilderness. The acts of Congress were also related with spark¬ 
ling delight. They were told how it was working for them, 


reconstructions' and legislations. 


13 1 


a'n'd Would continue' : to r work ; uniil’ tiiej wero chnal.Avitii- all iiicu;' 
and this ; an : dath6'us : ancTothcr fanciful talB4 usually "ended tlicT 
eai*ly ! 'meetings'‘of the Unioii League. ‘By such moans, the ear]y J 
carpet^■bagg'ers; "woro enabled; to control"whole' Counties 1 > 
districts, and load the people'as if with magic wand. ' ; - 


-'.10 ::;.J riix-iC O'iof:! jfui h ;i.r In nulc; mil 


ills Vi .bib YOU'.* i:L 'iS'.’n -:i: 1' i. /Jv.'O'/jq /: !•) JV.-Jv'; f 

■•'NOTE -SECOND. 1 ./ 


NOjl'E...SUECQKP . RELATES TO . lipCpNSTRUCTION .. AND.. LEQ ^LfriONS r 
’ UNDER THE EARLY CAPPET'-IJAGGEKsi 

■ \ «< f i • • i • • 

‘If, niftcr the-- WaT 'was over and the slaves of the’’Southera 
State's declared free 1 and made citizens; they had been visitod 
by a different Class of ; mch ! from' the'Northern States, no doubt 1 
that thb 1 -condition of all classes of citizens ‘would' have "been ' 
better-than : whnt’ it is : at f present. : We ; would have had in'ore' 
order arid liioiOgbiieral prosperity throughout'tlie^country. But ' 
Wh'cir wo take into consideration-the fact;-that:out of tiro Whole’ 
number of Northern men who visited the South immediately af- 1 
ter the War with l tho : intention of settling, niue-tchths of ‘tli'enW 
canie’-fofthe Cxpicss purpose Of-chgaging in politics'and ; tb ; sock- 
office-. 1 'Those WliOclid -nbt expect if by tire popular vote, Iodkcd :1 
forward : to sonab : ' -F efferal app'oin tincrit : that was ; lucrative as * 
weli-as pleasant,-and -they went to work'with'aWiew'to that" 
o'ndv They understood pretty well tli’e situation of affairs dowii 1 
South, and did not hesitate to ally themselves on flic’ Winning 0 
sulti; t ThoSouthern ‘whites, 1 kn'oAving tlieir mteiitions, -looked 
Ul3’6n‘theircomingWith disfavor, ’ and 1 ‘Consequently refused to : 
extend" to thCm -thO^priVireges 1 of social: intercourse. 1 ' Thnhbi' 
wai-'of fbcling, : and ! ai spirit : of antagonism; : was‘ bfouglif iibOiit 1 
bbtWcch : tliO {Northern -Republicans and the' Southern' DchiO-'- 
criits that‘has never’bceh cminpfbmiscd! ‘ vim. r 

vTho j ehfraJhchiseihcht'-of' the' blacks’ and' placihg tho' ballot' 
into their hands' U6-' Soon after • their 'emaiicipatioiij as' Wei 1 as’ ‘ 
the-coercive-policy-of tW United States •‘Government'toward 



































































14 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


tho late States in rebellion, denying them admission or repre¬ 
sentation until they had ratified the new amendments to tho 
. Constitution, placing the colored people upon a civil and politi¬ 
cal equality with them, were blows that tended to humiliate 
them more than ten thousand defeats upon tho field of battle. 

But knowing that it was useless to attempt to resist any lon¬ 
ger the strong arm of the conquering power, they yielded to 
that irresistablo power with a spirit and magnanimity that 
showed an inward patience and fortitude that has challenged. 
the admiration of the civilized world. What more could bo ox- 
pected of a people, coming out of the war as they did, with 
poverty staring them in the faco on every side, to see their onco 
happy, but then desolate homes, draped in mourning; deject¬ 
ed by defeat and care-worn by toil and suffering, how could it 
be expected that they would receive these new emissaries of 
mischief, only with scorn and contempt. 

Hero I am forced to admit that tho Southern whites are, in a 
measure, responsible themselves for a great deal of tho evils 
that have followed the bad and corrupt government of tho 
Southern States after their reconstruction and admission in tho 
Union, for, had thoy pursued a different course, and adopted a 
different policy from the beginning, and exerted themselves, as 
an intelligent people should have done, and strove for the mas¬ 
tery of the situation from the start, with new ideas, conforming 
more to tho changed condition of affairs, history would never 
have had an opportunity to record such shocking barbarities 
as were perpetrated by what was called the Ku-Klux-Klan, an 
organization whose purposes and aims soon compelled the more 
refined and intelligent portion of the Southern whites to con¬ 
demn it as revolting to the sensibilities of this civilized and 
Christian age. 

When universal suffrage was declared to be a fixed fact, and 
the late freedmen were clothed with tho constitutional privi¬ 
lege of voting, tho carpet-baggers found themselves not only 
masters of tho situation, but of tho colored peoplo’s hearts also. 
They had so worked upon their imaginations, and panderod to 
their passions, that it had brought about a confidence that was 
dangerous to question. They wore tho right men, and only 
men fitted, to send to the reconstruction conventions, the in¬ 
spired leaders and Moseses that would take them safe to the 


RECONSTRUCTIONS AND LEGISLATIONS. 15 

now Canaan of freedom. So, the consequence was at tho first 
general election to choose delegates to tho reconstruction con¬ 
ventions, there was elected to this important work, inexperi¬ 
enced whites who knew as much about reconstructing a State 
as a bjacksmith does about making a suit of clothes. It is true, 
that many of them possessed a liberal common-school educa¬ 
tion, but such an education fitted them more for book-keepers 
and salesmen than that of statesmen. And besides their want 
of experience and ability, there was still a more ignorant class 
associated with them in the work. 

There were freedmen—fresh from the plows and cornfields— 
taken up in all their ignorance and stupidity, and made citizens 
and statesmen, to assist in the work of reconstruction; men who 
voted only as they were told or directed, and by signs and sym¬ 
bols. So that, when the farce of reconstructing the States was 
over, it amounted to little more than copies of the old State 
Constitutions, altered and modified in such a manner as to make 
them unintelligible to the legislatures that wore to be guided by, 
as well as the people who were to obey them. 

The success of these new comers in the opening drama of 
nogro suffrage stimulated them to greater efforts and a more 
determined purpose to reach a higher goal in tho political hori¬ 
zon. They calculated every inch, with a mathematical precis¬ 
ion, to every political position in the Stato, and wero oontentod 
to know that it was only a question of time before their fondest 
hopes would be realized. They had only an ignorant and 
thoughtless population to deal with, and the greater part of 
tho work of controlling them had been already accomplished 
through the machinations of the Freedmen’s Bureau and Union 
League, so that, when tho elections wero ordered, all that was 
necessary for them to do, was to receive the nominations, which, 
under the circumstances, meant their election. 

In the elections that followed in pursuance of the recon¬ 
structive constitutions, there never was, in tho history of any 
people, such a return made for a legislature as thoso mado un¬ 
der tho auspices of negro suffrage.. It was a conglomeration 
of ignoranco, stupidity and imbecility—of innocent ignorance 
and unscrupulous rascality—to do what no ono know, only so 
far as concerned himself personally, and that was how much 
pay would each receive at the end of the session, 



























































































riG .p.xorTsaui’ni*N ;EEpnDU02ri?iSM*:i: rt 

j ; -f Those Wiliorsciit.Abem^tljece-iespectcd :to-Iiavd hew iaws’.&n'aefc- 
«e<l;.Jaw$ -that would establish lat.-ohce‘.social equatfty;JaM?ririftB 
-AjR^y--all t distmciii£>tt ;oa. 1account- jbf;• .chlor;.; wot»&v: r-.O'tbors 
ctJiQiTglit pf: tke.eonfiscation-.aots that were .to; -be ipassod,c4Uasfc- 
.would allow thoffi-to; take possession of’ laud and : property gonr 
-eraljy, without pricoor pay.;Others werojcontehtecV.with lariy 
iaw-, that would givQ:;lhfiui : ..;the.i promised': VSoxty -!ocrek: ;&u.d:& 
ecfji&o-:! h-u\ jrwmic-Jr-.is l,> ?crO nad> nsmaolca him. 

; ...AY bile-the. : constituents:: were ..expectantly', awaiting: •• on; their 
legislative servants to do all tKeyvhadipa'bmisexVfclie ’legislative 
.se.ry aq t s • see taed .-to: h a ve! Jf orgotten . all- th o £ prom ises.; th ey i ’ll ad 
•nmdeitOjthejriGoq^titiUenter and. were hiisily engaged <in .-.other 
t matters x far';iuor.e proii.tablQ!t.Q them individnallyrtban.'hy,:i]iayi- 
jng^attfintion'.to.thqjWh.iinsieairnotidii-s.Qf.'theiriUitorateLCOnstit- 
; nents.; -Qfeafe railroad• speculators.• had'.:como/ dowih ;£rom:3Lh6 
;Northj :Withgrdat;prpj.ect8 atod.schemesji that Would develop-the 
; rcs,aurecs/of.t ho States :and:bting .about, iimlold prosperity to tlVb 
people.iq.generah • > ;H.-heSe.-.railrcJa'ds :we're, to.: :ber.bitdfcifrsoin*no¬ 
where to nowhere,! and all that: was. necGssaiy tq push .tlio niatr- 
■ter.through.pltj pj^ee: was;:State-.aid.-, Day after day. plans:Kfero 
.submitted; to;.fche;legislature that not one..member;out: of ( eyeiy 
.thirty ;ky{$ ty: wh ; 0t • jtlspc ; preamble : meant. <. l Drawings!; and, maps 
.were; : .spread -before > the! •.•ignorant- . colored;.fmcmk&'s .that 
itendcd-only vtQ r ..m^ke itliehi ; wonder .what'• it -meant,etvjb-ild 
ihp. mOrfl -iSehemiug and tmsertipulous carpet-bagger^ did .hot 
{Carp anything aheut-what-it meant so long.- as.:they ./received 
¥*. handsome, pay <for their .voles,,'and the .'controlling;of ;& ifloiiciili 
Jpr<f so. more. ; The.colored. Members; invariably - voted;!asv.-thcy 
: were’clirected b}" their white leaders; for ’ they, being; in : most 
cases extremely ignorant.and:stupid—having-, no- Will, .thought 
or judgment of their own, and but few,- if any; could spell a 
syllable or write-tlieir namo with a cross-mark-^-nothing loss 
opuld.be expected of them than to be used and. sold by their 
new masters Whenever a good price.was offered. , ; . 

_ .These colored men were, placed: onthe ticket in many.in- 
/stanpes.-to fill up or, make out the required number, • from the 
■county, and for no other purpose, and. that,‘too, with the undeiv 
.standing that!their white leaders would take care of them, jand 
.see that they, voted right; and to them they looked to be direct¬ 
ed in all matters!pertaining to their legislative, duties.;- Idxuiy 


■ — 




RECOKSIRtiOTIO^S:AN 1*' .LEGISLATIONS. 


a? 

pi these monvhhdnever, .bee^., twenty : ;miles j from-their; • bomes 
during ‘their -lives,;,-knewmoth.iqg but to -wait around, tho.-honsp 
nA.d.preach thegespel out of. an elenMn.tu.ry .spelling book. SO; 
•w4t]fcflucl£colleagues, it wa§ tho ; oasi.es.t, thing imaginabfe. to bart 
&»v trade and^seU,.their:.v,Qt.esv,wh(iiueyei-’:..;vn--,-opportunity, pro? 
•sent-ed .-itself; js-dtigh's II fiskdgel orft yd Ir,nt:n{ 

i Th'ei^ye.began to! hear of State ; Aid: &nd.:endorsement)?}nthe 
issuing of,:millio.ns ; .Qfbonds for;this;:project, : and;tlu>t schema. 
ThoEtaye began , to hear of foreign bond-holders, and \YaU : Street 
brokers,laodj wheii' the ignorant-mcnfoers. were ; ^slf.ed ,-wha.t; ah 
this meant^they; declared that U.iey : did not know. I remember 
nsk.ing- one,- of; the,!c,olor.ed Georgia;,legislators what alii,these 
State emlorsoments were; forjiand;he saidf'd.'itwas .what.X^bd’nt 
know,” and I thought at the time he ; spoke the,-truth- for ; hinir 
,qel£. : and ; fmany:p.fherSv', tXfcj was,-, hum,ili;\ting- to■ thinkt#o what 
pqr.ppse-,those;honesty bukHignoxautmbnb had .l>e.cn. hrpnght 
byi that, unscimpulous; gaqg'.oX thieyejj. r^Yas ..there jany-gxcviso for 
sneji .a nefayion$; attempt.-to bainkynpjt tlm..,States, qpb .the,trens*- 
wfoSj,aq(lbjirdeiy ; th^ l^epple- with'.-deibt, fo'the.thifd .and fpuvth 
goiierataons^.^.-De.tnnhon.est!public,answer?) >;■ hiu\ ,ybod-is 

Jfosides these railroa,'d,-schemes,-theropyerovOther; matters 
that .engaged .theirattention and ma’debnp. 1 pa’rtiof tlleiil. prinpir 
p'dl business.; : ,,The. ’art of. creatinginewpffices fpr tliq iaceolnmor 
dation of idle and profligate poliitical wiyoiwo-rkers iwas . carried 
on : tp perfection^, Thp.se- offic.es—such os clerkships«pages,-and 
messengers—-werecreated j,and ' sold; to ; ,thc. -highest .dnddei*. 
Members of-the legisl.afnre ; xyonld,;seU..them,: : wifli-...tUq; uudefr 
Standing rim-t;half of the.-salary- would be.-.turned -over, to-^i-or 
D member. getting the appointment ,/frpjn.-tho r )t)lupf;clerk,./ and 
by this course, the chief clerks, instead of having only the nec¬ 
essary number of assistant clerks, would have, almost; a regi¬ 
ment, doing nothing but drawing their pay, and increasing tax r 
ation upon the people. Tho pay of members, including mile¬ 
age,, was enormous, considering; tho impoverished condition of 
the, States; but the condition .of the .States,, nor- thp circumstan¬ 
ces of..,'the. people, seemed to have but little .influence’ in .dctoiy 
ing those interlopers in carrying out their, purposes;, for so, in¬ 
tent were they on making money that they forgot everything 
.pise pertaining to their duties ; as legislators. .. :i ;... ■]<>] ,»:■ . 

Not only were these reconstruction legislatures corrupt and 
















































































13 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


wantonly perpetrated acts that will ever stand as a record of 
infamy among the archives of the States—but the chief execu¬ 
tives, the reconstruction Governors, were accessories before the 
fact to all acts and schemes having for their object plunder 
and crime. They would approve any and everything that was 
passed by the legislatures, without the slightest hesitancy or 
scruple. They seemed to have but one object in view, and that 
was, a continuance in office and a chance to make money. 
Outside of this, they cared but little for the State or country. 
Schemes and projects that they knew to be a fraud and imposi¬ 
tion upon the State, and that bore upon their face villainy and 
rascality, were winked and connived at, with the understand¬ 
ing that there was a private deposit placed at their disposal in 
some bank, foreign or domestic. 

In the first sessions of these reconstruction legislatures, it 
will be remembered that United States Senators were to be 
elected to fill unexpired terms caused by the late war, the 
States then in rebellion having no representation in Congress 
during that time. These high positions were to be filled by 
somebody, and as everybody wanted to be elected, tho leg¬ 
islatures, in two or three instances, came very near electing a 
Mr. Nobody. Talent, ability, nor merit had any influence in 
swaying the judgment of many of the legislatures; neither did 
tho moral or social status of the aspirant receive any attention 
or consideration; money and not men was-the momentus ques¬ 
tion, and all eyes, hands and hearts were turned in that dircc^ 
tion. Then commenced a trafic in the sale of public offico, the 
consequence of which has had a tendency to corrupt the entire 
body politic, and brand with eternal infamy those who have 
been guilty of so black a public crime. 

Men by this process were sent to Congress, whom an intel¬ 
ligent colored man felt ashamed to meet and recognize at tho 
National Capitol. So inferior and unqualified were they for 
these positions, that mauy sections of tho country only knew 
that the other was represented, by looking upon the registers 
or pay-rolls. Besides those “august” Senators in tho Senate, we 
had another blessed set of figure-heads in-the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives, ■who did nothing for whole terms but write Fitzlmgh 
letters to their ignorant constituents; forward Government seed, 


RECONSTRUCTIONS AND LEGISLATIONS. 19 

or when in their seats, gaze at intelligent members from other 
sections, and draw their pay at the end of tho session. 

From the sudden elevation of these upstarts to those high 
political positions, sprung also another evil that has well nigh 
killed tho Republican party in tho Southern States. It seemed 
as if everybody and everything, moving or creeping, animato 
or inanimate, that belonged to the Republican party, wanted 
office. It got abroad that an office was a nice thing, a thing that 
had plenty of money in it, and consequently everybody wanted 
to get one. It was a new love for office, not like in former times, 
•when men sought positions for the honor and dignity of tho 
thing—who served their country for their country’s good—it 
was otherwise with this now creation of office-seekers. It was 
for each man or individual’s good that he wanted to servo his 
country. The return of the colored members of the State Leg¬ 
islatures to their constituents with plenty of greenbacks, their 
share of the spoils, and the purchasing of mules, horses and 
lauds, all combined, brought about an ambition and jealousy 
that has ever made tho party a party of bickering and strife. 
As many of tho first legislators wont up to represent tho peo¬ 
ple, without knowing how to read or write, and camo back safe 
without any external or visible harm, others with about the samo 
qualifications thought they had a right to go the next trip, to 
serve their country and receive a few greenbacks, and thus a 
war for offico was commenced that has made at times a Repub¬ 
lican county convention little less than a politcal pandemo¬ 
nium. 

Tho cry was office! office! office! give mo office or give mo 
death. Cornfield hands, cartmcn, draymen, waiters, barbers, 
preachers, and a numberless multitude ot others, began to cry 
out for office, and of course this caused great dissatisfaction 
among those who were defeated in the nomination, and tho re¬ 
sult, in hundreds of instances, was the running of two tickets in 
tho same party, the consequence of which was sure defeat. 

The whito carpet-bagger found it difficult at times to control 
this ambitious spirit among the people for these small places 
in the county, and often they have been forced, in disgust, 
to give up their opposition to some foolhardy colored aspirant, 
and fall in and support him to save their own bacon, to the 
disgrace and humiliation of the more intelligent portion of tho 


















































































































































2(j * ‘sotj^nfeRx' TOE^PtJBiliCANisaf/ 

community. Tliis*l6Ve foi* ofliko' lifts liigli’ dehibralizcdone-' 

fourth of the coloroc^pbpft'lnitioii of tho'iSbufh/anftHrrifittetl tlrciir 
for industry and usefulness. 'I have known men of good trades, 
that 1 would pay the ill : ah 'average wages of two cloll'afk : ahd fifty ; 
cehis per day, leave off thbi'r work to talk politics, without pay, 
or go canvassing, and 'pay their own expenses, or aoccpf sonic' 
little appointment, shell; as justice of the peace 'or constable,' 
and o'Ut'bf Uvliich ; they could : not* possibly' ;: cftrh : a’ competent;' 
liviiig for tlieirfamilies; 1 yet they■were perfectly satisfied with tli’e; 
happy thought 1 of being ah ciffi&er and in authority; It sbeined* 
that to be aii officer of some 1 kind, withbuf regaid' to the 1 fee br 
emolument emanating thbrefromv wah the heiglith of a colored' 
man’s ambition. "" 

• Among 1 the most"prominent office-seeker's of the ebloredpcr-' 
suasion of the South; 1 Was that' class'That’ bore' the ‘nanid' and; 
style of preachers, irrespective of denomination.' This'clasS'was' 
iii iv position, at : tire time of The' chfran : ciiis ; cm'ent ! bf the freed 1 - 1 
men, ; to-, sway ban : extraordinary 1 influence, 11 and 1 hu'ver im : 'riri- 1 
limited ; control over ' the 1 people- generally. " They' Were' 
looked 11 Upon 1 as ; thc : leading Colored ; radii 'Of caclr'cbrri- 
liiuuifcy, 1 aiid 111 'fitted for 1 politics 1 as’ well as -religion,' aml, ; 
as they : 1 inet 1 witil 1 : ho 1 opposition from 1 thoso whoiii -illoy; 1 1'Cad 
in' spiritual'-matters, but on the Contrary received' their sap*' 
port, 1 they 'sooii-became thb' cohtrbllihg clement : in ! ilio : Stati/ as 
well as the 1 ; chiirc-li, in the : 1 Republican ;; party; 1 s0 that' at 1 bnO 
time the legislatures- were 1 filled with-'preachers; both:. whitO ftiid^ 
colored. The while carpet-baggers, in the beginning, were; alb 
preacher^,'-Witlr - forged • licenses -or 1 recommendations, 1 and of 
conrsb thoy-exerted an iufluchcc in proportion to their' colored' 
colleagues.- This being the- caSOfthis holy s'ct- of-'Pascals soon; 
fOund ! themselves corrupted : arid'denidralrzed, 1 ail’d • as : 'sOsccptr-' 
bib to-khb : perpetration of crime UU'the inoiJt' uhprctcnd-ihg sin-' 
Uhl's-. : -Ffom'tliis bvil : departure of these so called ministers of 
Christ!,- the christian'church has been, made'to'Suffer sham'6 and' 
boiiiempt-from t Wbntsidb‘World;- religion has'becfi'Uibcked at, 
antbtiie few : faithful derided as hypocrites. 1 • " J • c ' 

I’Thbro' htts-neVcrdiOeiipin'the history of 'tlic colbrOd'-racc at 
tliO'Sbutli/ shell a'Ttetotoalizetl'condition'Of: lllb; ; chul*bhes, as 
exists'at ; present alnong' : almost 1 every 1 dbiidiniiiatio'ti, 11 and 1 tho' 1 
whble-offiHS'-<IcplGi-abk3 i sfato’ef '-their religious 1 -affairs 'are 1 !at~ ; 


THE FREEDMEN’S SAVINGS AND TRUST COMPANY. 21 

tributablo to the corrupt political preachers from tho school of 
tho sarao stock of unprincipled adventurers who have led 
them from their plain Christian duties into the filthy slough of 
American politics. 

At one time the churches and government school housos 
were the only places where political meetings wero held, nomi¬ 
nations made, and candidates set on foot; there vulgar debates 
and political quarrels were indulged in, to the delight’of a rabble 
crowd of blackguards. But ail this being for the benefit of tho 
minister in charge, iu most instances, or out of which he ex¬ 
pected to have his axe grouud, he rcadilj r consented to it without 
tho slightest hesitancy or conscientious scruples. Such con¬ 
duct in men calling themselves ministers of tho Gospel of Christ 
cannot pass freo without meeting the frowns and just' condem¬ 
nation of every intelligent Christian community, nor will they 
bo able in a day of reckoning to free themselves from tho res¬ 
ponsibility of having caused the present deplorable condition 
of the Christian churches among the colored population. 




NOTE THIRD. 


NOTE THIRD RELATES TO THE FREEDMEN’S SAVINGS AND TRUST COM¬ 
PANY AS A POLITICAL MACHINE. 

These original leaders of the Republican party at tho South 
did not only rob the States of millions of money and bring on 
an almost insupportable burden of taxation upon the people 
and stop there; this, it seemed, was not enough to satiate their 
ungovernablo appetites for making money by means of plun¬ 
der and crime, but they were determined to take advantage of 
every opportunity that presented itself, regardless of age, sex, 
or condition, and as these mighty schemes were systematically 
arranged and understood by all concerned, whether in office or 
out, there was no possible chance for thorn to fail in accom¬ 
plishing tho end in view. Therefore, while some were engaged 































































SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


22 

in scliomes of public plunder, wo find tlioir associates engage 
in another direction with diiferent means to effect tho sarnd 
purpose—this purpose being to rob the ignorant colored pco- 
plo in a private and secret way; and thus we find a banking 
scheme invented, under tho name and style of tho “Frecdmen’s 
Savings and Trust Company.” It will be remombered that 
among these Savings and Trust men tho most prominent were 
that same class of adventurors, and carpet-baggers who came 
down with tho Freedmen’s Bureau, and other auxiliary emissa¬ 
ries of the same faith and order, and who were conspicuous in 
organizing tho original Union Leaguo. And, of course, theso 
same good, true, and tried men had, through deception and an 
unmitigated duplicity, won the faith and confidence of the in¬ 
nocent and unsuspecting freed men to such a degree that they 
would have willingly trusted even tlioir souls into their bauds. 

They were told that freedom meant anotlior thing of great 
importance, and without which they could never hope to bo liko 
white people, and this was the saving of money; the buying of 
comfortable homes to protect them in their old age, and to ena¬ 
ble them to go into business as their former masters had dono 
before them. They were then taken up in their imaginations 
to some ideal mountain, and there shown the glorious future 
that was in store for them if they would only save their money. 
And how radiant, fair and beauteous were those golden plains 
that loomed up in the perspective distance; there could be seen 
with an inward eye, happy and comfortable homes, and robust 
children basking in the sunsliiue of plenty, surrounded with 
pomp and splendor, joy and pleasure, such as is only knowu 
to a free and truly great people; all these were their sure in¬ 
heritance. And if some were too old to see in tho far off dis¬ 
tance, by reason of ocular imperfection, they were made to sco 
by tho aid of false glasses that magnified in proportion a milo 
to the circular inch. After this impression was made by such 
whimsical and falso representations, then came a general ex¬ 
planation of how all this comfort, splendor and greatness was 
to bo acquired. Tho charter of this “institution” -was read, 
. explained and elucidated in such a simple manner that a 
wayfaring man need not have erred, or a fool been con¬ 
founded. Congress had done this thing for their special bene¬ 
fit, and Abraham Lincoln had signed it, also, as a special favor; 








!THE FREEDMEN’s SAVINGS AND TRUST COMPANY. 23 

and that they were tho true, tried, and trusty men, who were to 
see to its faithful operation. As to tho security a'nd solvency 
of such an ‘ institution” there could be no question, for it was 
as stable as the Government of the United States. All of its 
assetts were to be in United States securities, such as bonds 
treasury notes, Ac., &c, and that there would bo no invest¬ 
ments or loans made, only upon tho very best collaterals known 
to the country. And still this glorious “institution,” for tho 
special benefit of the nation’s wards, extended greater induce¬ 
ments to habits of economy and industry than any known in¬ 
stitution in this or any other country, and this, too, was, for the 
special benefit of the freed people. In this “institution ” you 
*ould deposit from a nickel to the amount of one hundred 
thousand dollars, without tho slightest objection by the Presi¬ 
dent, Cashier or Board of Managers, and all would bo strictly 
kept and charged to their own use. Infant freedmen could 
bring their rag, bottle and boot-black money, and put it into 
this safe and almost sanctified “institution,” and that too, with¬ 
out let or hinderance, or any one to molest them or make them 
afraid. It was the very thing they needed in their present 
condition to bring them up to the same standard of citizenship 
with other members of this great and glorious commonwealth. 
And so it was, the old and young, the great and small, the deaf 
and dumb, the halt and lame, tho blind, the near-sighted, and 
those who could see but little, all flocked in droves to deposit 
their small sums, their pittant savings and hard earnings, into 
tins “institution” created and established for their special 
benefit. Old women thought no longer of putting money away 
in an old stocking, as they had done for generation after gener¬ 
ation; there was no more fear of master finding out how much 
money they had, for so great was the benefit of this glorious 
“institution,” that all other modes of saving money sunk into 
insignificance. There was no more use tor old trunks, stock¬ 
ings and mattresses as things to put money in for safo keeping; 
these things that had been used by the colored people for nearly 
ten generations wore now looked upon as extremely unsafe for 
such purposes; for since they were froo all things woro now, and 
of course there had to bo a now way for doing everything uu- 
der the new regime. 


































































































24 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


Tliis “institution,” in order that no portion of the country 
or any community or individual, should have an excuso for not 
being robbed, established branch banks in all the principal cit¬ 
ies of the South, with full instructions to spare no ono, nor re¬ 
gard any sex, condition or circumstances, in carrying out the 
main principles of the “institution.” In some of these cities 
the business was very good, running up to nearly two hundred 
thousand dollars on deposit, and in such places the freedmen 
had pleasant dreams and hopeful visions. They had worked 
hard and stinted themselves of every luxury in order to arrivo 
at that blissful haven that had been shown them from the de¬ 
lectable mountains; and do doubt they had a perfect right to 
be at ease in mind and heart when they considered into whoso 
caro and keeping their money and valuables were entrusted. 
Men that wero tried and found true in everything that per¬ 
tained to their interest, could not possibly do any wrong; their 
very countenanco showed an inward honesty that dispelled 
every doubt at a moment’s glance. If any man had tho slight¬ 
est suspicion lurking about his mind, it was only necessary for 
him to call at ono of the good cashier’s windows, and receive 
one of those gracious smiles from that officer, and it was certain 
ho could depart in peace, in mind and conscience, and sin no 
more with such thoughts. So kind and obliging, so courteous 
and gentlemanly were these good men of the Freedmon’s Sav¬ 
ings and Trust Company that they could have easily passed 
for wingless angels. 

For seven loug years this happy repose was not disturbed 
or broken, nor the original confidence shaken. Tho freedmen 
still wended their way to the banking places, and the good 
cashiers still received their small sums without the slightest 
dcscernment of woariness or fatigue. Some freedmen had 
their fifty dollars, others their hundred, and a few had reached 
their thousand; and still they went as regular as the week would 
end to see the good cashier or amiablo teller. 

But, alas, there was an evil day in store for these innocent 
people that they little dreamed of. And so it was, one bright 
morning, when dissembling nature laughed at the rays of a 
cheerful sun, and innocent freedmen started with light hearts 
and peaceful minds to put in, as usual, an appearance at tho 
bauking house, they were greatly surprised when they found 


THE FREEDMEN’s SAVINGS AND TRUST COMPANY. 25 

tho bank doors not thrown open as usual, nor the good cashiers 
at their accustomed places. There was a low whisper that went 
up through all the towns and cities, that this good “institution” 
had been overburdened, and consequently was forced to sus¬ 
pend—a word that puzzled almost every freedman to under¬ 
stand its meaning. They knew what the word “broke” meant, 
but it was impossible for them to understand the meaning of 
this word “suspended.” Some of the more ignorant ones had 
it that the bank was “offended,” instead of “suspended,” and 
here and there men, women and children met in groups to dis¬ 
cuss the meaning of this word that had caused the bank to bo 
closed. They know that they had put their money in this con¬ 
cern, and did not dream of being swindled cut of it by such 
good, true and honest men, until, at last, the fact became so 
plain, by a persistent refusal to pay it on demand, that thous¬ 
ands were horror-stricken and gave up in despair. Children 
wept aloud for their pennies, and old men and womem groaned 
with their hearts overburdened with grief for their dollars that 
they supposed were now gone forever. Many had put their 
last farthing into this Savings and Trust “Institution,” and now, 
as it had failed and refused to pay or. return it on demand, as 
had been promised, they at once gave up all hope for tho 
future. 

That they had been deceived and imposed upon by the sweet 
talk and flattery of these pretended friends, no ono can doubt; 
or that this scheme of wholesale robbery of three hundred 
thousand poor, illiterate and ignorant people, was not a precon¬ 
certed arrangement from tho very beginning, no honest man 
would question for a moment, for so plain and clear did every 
act demonstrate their ultimate intentions when this thing was 
put into operation, that not one of those thieves have had tho 
spirit to rise above public censure and condemnation to give an 
explanation. "While thousands of colored men and women are 
to-day suffering from the effects and consequences of that 
steal, those shining lights and sweet-tongued projectors of that 
“institution” are living in pomp and splendor, away up iu their 
Northern homes, where the lamentations of tho people they 
have deceived and robbed will nover reach them. 

It has been argued, that no intentional wrong was moant or 
contemplated in the original plan of this Savings and Trust 


























































































2G 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANTSAf, 


Company, and that its failure was owing to circumstances that 
were entirely beyond the control of its officers. But an intelli¬ 
gent and hoc est public is not to bo cajoled in their judgment 
by such excuses, especially when their own records condemn 
them as criminals. If they had beeu acting in good faith, and 
in the interest of the ignorant people for whom they wero 
transacting business, why did they depart from the principles 
and rules that were to govern its operations and upon which 
the colored people relied to secure themselves against disaster? 
If, by such reckless and wanton disregard of the provisions of 
the origiual contract, the colored people, who were acting in 
good faith, were made the losers, who should be made to shoul¬ 
der the responsibility but the parties who violated the original 
agreement ? It is worse than useless to try to bolster up a suf¬ 
ficient excuse for such a crime, when every man who was con- 
corned in the original scheme stands to-day black with guilt and 
crime, the legitimate fruits of his iuiquitous conduct. 

If the colored people of the South have learned nothing else 
since their emancipation, they have learned this lesson true and 
well; and though they have not deserted the carpet-bagger in 
politics, I would like to see any one of that stamp sncceed in 
another Savings and Trust Company scheme. Four millions • 
of money for their first lesson in the principles of banking i3 
looked upon generally as too high a price for the amount 
pleasure they found in it, and consequently thousands are con- . 
tented to pursue the good old way of saving their small change. 
To say that they will get thirty-five per cent, on the dollar is 
guessing rather high, for by the time the commissioners get 
their slice out of tho residue, the remainder will be too small 
to pay tho fee. Thus tho colored people of the South havo paid ' 
four millions in cash, and ten yoars in offices of profit and emol¬ 
uments, to keep ihe carpet-baggers among them, and still the • 
end is not yet. 



"V 


EASY ASCENDANCY OF TIIE REPUBLICAN TARTY. 


27 


NOTE FOURTH. 


NOTE FOURTH RELATES TO THE EASY ASCENDENCY OF TIIE REPUBLL- 
CAN PARTY IN THE SOUTH, AC. 

The easy ascendancy of the Republican party in many of tho 
Southern States immediately after their reconstruction, is a 
matter that the Northern portion of the couutry has never 
rightly understood. It was not so much the result of tho col¬ 
ored population outnumbering tho whites in certain sections or 
localities, as it has been argued and represented. It is true 
that tho colored element, as a mass, went solid in their voting; 
privileges against the native whites at tho outset, but this was 
Owing to tho conduct of tho native whit*is on the one hand, and 
the influence and teachings of the carpet-bag element, then 
among them, on the other. The native whites, on their part, 
had not given up any of their prejudices toward tho negroes as 
slaves, nor their hatred against tho Yankee, engendered by tho 
war; and being actuated by such feelings, they could not bring 
themselves to believe that emancipation, civil liberty and the 
elective franchise were established facts. There wore yet some 
latent hopes that at least negro sufiVago would prove a failure 
and be abolished as unconstitutional. And upon these notions 
some of the wisest and most intelligent men of tho South 
counseled indifference and inaction among tho people, or at 
least that portion whom they could influence. And if we also 
take into consideration the fact that a largo proportion of tho 
white population was at that time disqualified or disfranchised 
on account of participating in the rebellion, the easy and almost 
magical ascendancy of the Republican party in tho South may 
be easily accounted for. For it is a well known fact, that at tho 
closo of the first general election for State officers tho native 
whites took but little interest in it; tho result of which action 
was not felt until they found themselves ruled and controlled by 
a set of new comers, without interest or right. It was too late 
then to question tho validity of tho election or legal right to 





















































28 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


offices, for any hostile demonstrations in opposition to the then 
constituted authorities would have at once called the aid of the 
Federal Government to put it down; consequently thero was no 
alternative left but submission, and the expiration of the term 
of office to which every one had been elected. 

This being the caso, the Southern whites had but ono remedy 
left, and that was to organize themselves into a solid political 
association in opposition to what was then called carpet-bag 
rule and negro supremacy. The declaration of principles upon 
which they acted were such that no native colored man could 
accept or act with them without humiliation and shame to him¬ 
self and race; so blind with passion and swayed with prcdju- 
dico, that they scorned the idea of counting negro votes. They 
declared every act of Congress unconstitutional that had a ten¬ 
dency of conferring equal civil rights upon the negroes, and 
that the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments were a nullity, as 
being contrary to the genius and spirit of American institu¬ 
tions. Therefore they held out no inducements to the more 
intelligent colored men to act with them in bringing about a 
better state of things, but clung to their old pro-slavery ideas 
with a tenacity that has well nigh caused the loss of thousands 
of lives, and an ocean of blood, and through it all they could 
not succeed for tho want of number and a change of policy. 

To say that tho colored people of tho South arrayed them¬ 
selves in opposition to the native whites from feelings of ani¬ 
mosity and hatred, is erroneous and unjust to them in every 
particular. They being extremely ignorant, and easily led 
and swayed in their judgment, as -well as excitable in their na¬ 
tures, to say nothing about their whimsical notions about free¬ 
dom and tho now order of things, any sot of men that would have 
condescended to pander to their passions and their crude no¬ 
tions, coupled with fair promises, could have controled them, bo 
they from the North or South. For it cannot be denied that, not¬ 
withstanding their former status as slaves, and that they had 
been liable to all tho evils attendant upon such an institution, 
yet thero was still existing as had always existed, up to the 
time of their emancipation, an attachment, love and sympathy 
between master and slave that no chango in their civil rolation 
could eradicitte. Neither liberty, freedom, civil rights or their 
enfranchisement, had any effect in changing this natural seuti- 


EASY ASCENDANCY OF TIIE REPUBLICAN TARTY. 


29 


ment of the heart in tho former servant or master; these wero 
too deeply rooted in their natures by long and intimate associ¬ 
ations, to be cast away in a day. The recollection of valuable 
past services of a former servant, and that his freedom and 
tho loss of his services was from no violent act of his, but tho 
result of the long and bloody carnage between the States; 
the intelligent and sympathetic master has always been wil¬ 
ling to overlook every mistake and blunder as tho result of ig¬ 
norance on the ono hand, and the seductive teachings of the 
white hypocrites that were among them on the other. To illus¬ 
trate and make more plain my meaning, I cannot do so better 
than by recurring to a few facts that havo occurred a number of 
times, and that thousands can bear testimony of; that is, I havo 
known colored men to bo very blustering and independent on 
election day and would apparently treat their former owners with 
indignity if they attempted to control or advise them contrary 
to their views and judgment. They would sometimes curse 
and swear, rip and snort, and say many insulting things while 
elated over the exercise of their new privileges, but it all meant 
but little, for as the sun went down so also tliis innocent excite¬ 
ment subsided, and on the morrow, they would go with a bold¬ 
faced innocence and ask a favor of the very men who, on tho 
day before, they would not allow to speak to them—and on tho 
other hand, while such former owners might have hesitated to 
grant such request until they had reprimanded them for their 
conduct, there are but few instances where they have been turned 
away without such request being granted. So that, to say 
that thero has been any deep-seated malice or spiteful revenge 
existing in the hearts of either the native white or colored pop¬ 
ulation of the South,ds an accusation that is false in every par¬ 
ticular. In making this statement, I am not to be understood 
as attempting to disguise the fact of tho many massacres and 
cold-blooded murders that have been perpotrated upon tho 
blacks in almost every Southern State since their liberation, 
for there is but little excuse that can bo offered in extenua¬ 
tion of these crimes. But if wo consider the cause out of 
which sprung theso conflicts, we may oven thoro ‘discern 
a want of hate and malice toward tho colored people as a race; 
for it is an undeniable fact that all of these conflicts were the 
results of political strife, lead on by some hot-headed fanatics, 























































30 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


prompted by self-interest, and who always escaped without in¬ 
jury to themselves. Such men have always been willing to 
bring on a conflict by their boasting talk and harangues, but as 
soon as there were any signs of danger they have always been 
found wanting. Many a colored man has lost his life by allow¬ 
ing himself to be influenced by the false teachings of these 
office-holders. If there had been more honesty of purpose, 
and a more sacred regard for the oath of office as well as a 
better intention to do right, than has been manifested to the 
contrary in thousands of instances, thero would have been less 
cause for complaint in, as well as out of, the Republican party. 
But when we consider the deception and dishonest practices of 
the leaders in this party, it needs but little understanding to 
solve the mystery of its gradual declination and inevitable dis¬ 
solution as a party in the Southern States. I have ever con¬ 
tended that it never has had a permanent foundation in these 
States, from the fact that the men who introduced it among the 
ignorant masses were so corrupt and greedy for gain that its 
purest principles became contaminated and subverted to the 
foulest purpose before it took root. No white man acted with 
it at tho South without he was suro of reaping a pecuniary 
benefit. An office was always a condition precedent to being 
a white Republican, and upon no other condition would they 
stick. This being the case, the honest colored people 
could get only a particular class to affiliate or act with them in 
sustaining, as they thought, the principles of the party that 
claimed to have made them free. For it cannot be denied that 
a white man at one time had to pass through a severo ordoal to 
get his hash on that side of the political fence, or to face the 
music of a severe ostracism; and especially was this made try¬ 
ing when honesty of purpose and strict integrity was wanting in 
the position ho occupied. There have only been enough acting 
with the party to fill the civil offices of the State and county, and 
outside of this number white Republicans were few and f^r be¬ 
tween. There is as great a difference between the Republican 
party South, compared to that of the same party North, as 
there is between day and night. Here it is made up of igno¬ 
rance, with a few intelligent men to direct and control, it after 
their own fashion, and to make what they can out of it, with¬ 
out any regard to iW principles. It .exists only m name, has 


'— 


—...... . . . . . . 


EASY ASCENDANCY OF TIIE REPUBLICAN PARTY. 31 

no foundation, and is liablo to become oxtiuct as soon as there 
ceases to be money or profit in it, as has been tho case in Geor¬ 
gia. And this is the principal cause of all the trouble and strifo 
that has engaged the attention of the General Government for 
tho past ten years. It has been a war of ignorance against in¬ 
telligence, wealth against poverty and honesty against dishon¬ 
esty, resulting in oppression and hardship to the weak, of crime 
upon the innocent as well as the guilty; and almost producing 
a state of anarchy from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and 
still the end is not yet. 

This state of affairs cannot exist much longer without seri¬ 
ous injury to all classes, for there must be a bettor feeling be¬ 
tween the two races in the future in political matters, if not tho 
consequence will be ruin to all. Tho color line, white lcaguo 
and war of race doctrine must bo discarded, and a majority of 
tho people, irrespective of race or color, must rule and govern 
the States. For it is an incontrovertible fact, that the inter¬ 
ests of both races at the South are identical, and what effects 
one effects both, and unless there is a mutual sentiment of good 
will and feeling existing between them thero caD be no peace 
or lasting prosperity. For a continued spirit of antagonism 
between the two races must, sooner or later, result in a conflict 
tho end of -which cannot be imagined. The weaker party must 
go to the wall in such an unequal contest and end in their total 
extermination. Therefore the colored people must begin to 
learn how to act for themselves, and to use their own judgment 
in matters pertaining to their own interests; for there has been 
already too much dependence upon others to direct them in 
matters that have had rather a tendency to retard their pro¬ 
gress and advancement than to increase it. They must also 
learn that they can be liberal in their views and independent 
in their political action, without fear or molestation; they must 
understand that their fears cannot always bo pacified by tho 
presence of bayonets, but that they are to act like all other citi¬ 
zens, exercising every right and privilege, with the assurance 
that the law of tho land is strong enough to enforce every 
right and redress every wrong. They must understand that 
the electivo franchise was bestowed upon them to bo exercised 
in an intelligent manner, and not as party slaves, without tho 
right to go beyond a party line, but as American citizens, hav- 





























































3* SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 

ing a perfect right without being questioned to affiliate with 
any of tho political parties of the country. And lastly, they 
must understand that freedom backed up by bayonets or sus¬ 
tained under military rule is not worth possessing, from the 
fact, that as soon as such props are taken away thoso who 
have trusted in them will fall into tho w r orst of slavery. 


NOTE FIFTH. 


NOTE FIFTn RELATES TO TOE FUTURE COURSE AND POLICY OF THE 
COLORED rEOTLE OF THE SOUTH, &C. 

I have explained to the best of my ability, information and 
knowledge, the introduction of the Frecdmen’s Bureau, its oper¬ 
ations and effect, as well as a description of tho Union Leaguo 
with its managers and officers. I have also described in a con¬ 
cise manner, the Reconstruction Conventions, and I have not 
left out the great swindling concern under the name and style 
of the Freedmen’s Savings and Trust Company, and I have 
also hinted at the rise and probable decline of the Republican 
party in tho Southern States. This I found to be necessary in 
order to more fully set forth my views as to w'hat should be the 
future course and policy of tho colored element of tho South. 
It cannot be denied that this particular class, numbering some 
five millions or more, and forming as they do, the principal 
laboring class of this section of country, are not of great moment 
and consideration to the whole country. In this connection 
we will not consider any question touching their social status, 
for we are confident that no legislation can ever reach or re¬ 
move the predjudices that now exist from a previous condition 
as well as color. Nor do I believe the more intelligent among 
them ask for social equality with any other class or race,. For 


FUTURE COURSE AND POLICY OF THE COLORED PEOPLE. 33 

while laws may be passed and enforced protecting overy right 
belonging to them as citizens, thero can bo no law that can 
change the sentiments of the mind sufficiently to forco social 
equality vdiere it does not exist from habit and association. 
Tho most hot-headed fanatics, and bigoted equal-rights advo¬ 
cates, knew that no civil rights bill could ever be enforced 
against principles of secondary nature, and it was upon tho 
knowledge of this fact that all civil rights bills and their dis¬ 
cussion, have ceased in the the Halls of Congress, or to agitato 
tho country. Theroforo, it is not tho social status of tho col¬ 
ored race that we are to consider as of any importance, for that 
is a question of which time alone holds tho destiny, and must 
control it in spito of any positive law to tho contrary notwith¬ 
standing. The civil and political status of tho colored raco 
is tho great question of tho hour, to bo adjusted and settled 
for tho future peace and prosperity of the country, and overy 
citizen that will aid and assist in this W’ork is a truo patriot and 
lover of his country. 

Whenever the colored people are assured, upon principles of 
good faith, that every right that is guaranteed by tho constitu¬ 
tion and law will be respected and enforced, then they will feel 
themselves sufficiently strong to act and affiliate indiscrimi¬ 
nately with the different political parties of the country; but 
until this fear is removed and such assurances given by open 
declarations and acts, sufficiently to dispel their doubts, they 
will still cling to and support the worst of men for office, upon 
political piinciples more favorable to them and the privileges 
they enjoy. There is no use to argue that there must bo a 
change on tho one side only, for the change that is to offect 
anything or produce any good result is reciprocal and mutual 
in principle. The conservative or independent element must 
hold out the same inducement and adopt the same just and hu¬ 
mane principles toward this class of citizens as has been held 
out by tho original Republican party, recognizing, maintaining 
and enforcing every right of tho colored as w^ell as the whito 
man. Again, they must have every doubt removed as to their 
political privileges as citizens, and that they will be recognized 
politically according to their ability and merit in acting with 
and assisting any other party in electing the best men to office. 
No doubt the Democratic Conservative party has under- 




























































34 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


gone a radical change of principle within the past five years, 
that is, judging from the declarations recently mado in Na¬ 
tional Convention, but it is left for them to go still further 
in their declaration upon this important subject in order to in¬ 
sure peace and good order in the country, and for the establish¬ 
ment of good government for all. 

When these questions effecting the rights of the colored 
population are settled by each political party in a manner that 
they may act without doubt, then there will be no longer auy 
need of Federal interference with the domestic affairs of the 
States. It is equal justice and equal protection before the law, 
and the full and complete enjoyment of every right that is 
guaranteed by the Constitution and laws that the leading col¬ 
ored men claim and exact for themselves and the masses they 
represent, and these conditions must be set forth as among the 
fundamental principles of every political party that expects 
their support and co-operation. It would be extremely unreas¬ 
onable for them to act with a party without exacting the same 
assurances for the faithful observance of their rights as citi¬ 
zens as they received from the Republican party. It -was only 
by the observance of these rights by the Republican party that 
they identified themselves with, and supported its principles 
and policy all the way, the result of which action was to re¬ 
ceive a little good and produce much evil and injury to the 
c< antry generally by electing bad or inferior men to office, and 
as long as there was no other party that offered the same "in¬ 
ducement or adopted the same principles of equal justice and 
rights to all, regardless of color, race, or previous. condition, 
they had no disposition to leave it or dony it thoir support, 
thdugh it became putrid with corruption and rascality in every 
other respect. It was upon this prinoiple that the carpet-bag¬ 
gers and scalawags were able to control it and exert such an in¬ 
fluence over the colored masses. The’watchword of thcso lead¬ 
ers was rights, equal rights to all! and, though having everything 
else in view but the faithful carrying out of these principles, they 
were always smart enough not to do any act that tended to 
falsify those words of powor upon parchment. They have 
rather, when pressed for au excuse, done many things that have 
went, more to sustain these declarations than against them. 
For it cannot be denied, that though they have committed great 


FUTURE COURSE AND POLICY OF THE COLORED rEOl'LE. 35 

wrongs in the management and administration of such State 
governments as foil into their hands, yet they havo mado a fow 
laws that havo proved beneficial to the colored population, and 
which havo went far in protecting them in the enjoyment of 
their rights as citizens; and, so long as this was the case, every 
other act, right or wrong, good or bad, was sustained by tho 
popular vote. They could very well afford to enact a few gen¬ 
eral laws and appoint a few ambitious colored men to somo 
small place for the prico that was paid and tho opportunity it 
gave them for enriching themselves out of the public coffers. 
For no one can doubt that it was anything more or less with 
them than a business transaction out of which they expected 
a handsome profit. 

.The opposition party, from motive of prcdjudico or short¬ 
sightedness, have done nothing until very recently to stay tho 
evil of the mal-administration of the Republican party. It is 
true they have argued upon tho stump and through the pross 
with an earnestness that portended tho deepest sincerity for a 
change in tho policy of each Republican administration, but 
without much effect, because the change they asked for was not 
such as could be effected by appealing to the administration, 
but such alono as the people in tbeir sovereign capacity could 
produce. They seemed to have had no idea of tbe popular 
sentiment of that class of voters that they invited to co-opor- 
ate with them. The colored voters cared but little about ques¬ 
tions of taxation, or who squandered tho public money; thoy 
felt but little of tli9 burden, from the fact that they had but 
little or nothing to lose, and beyond the rights and privileges 
that they enjoyed, there was no interest at stako or anything 
else to interest them in the administration of the Government, 
and so long as these rights were not infringed or violated by 
open declaration by the party they supported, they were satisfied 
and willing to maintain it in power. This is the great blunder and 
mistake that has been committed by the Conservative and other 
parties of the country desiring the support and co-operation of 
tho colored voters. Thus it can bo plainly seen that thoy have 
used the wrong argument and adopted the wrong means for 
the furtherance of their plans and for accomplishing tho ends 
they had in view. For instance, South Carolina, having as she 
undoubtedly did, a colored population that greatly excoeded 











































36 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


tbo white and that maintained and kept in power a Republican 
administration for nearly ten years, and during which timo the 
Stato was robbed, plundered and brought to the very verge of 
bankruptcy. In vain did the Conservative element point out 
this approaching disolution of the civil structure of the Stato, 
and its inevitable ruin without a change of policy. But no ar¬ 
gument was listened to by the ignorant colored voters as long 
as the corrupt and demoralized leaders could hold up equal 
rights and equal justice before tho law, in contradistinction to 
the principles of all other political parties in the State; and en¬ 
trenched behind so formidable a bulwark as this political the¬ 
ory was to tho ignorant colored masses, these political thieves 
were enabled to set the law at defiance and commit tho highest 
crimes known to tho law of the land without fear or dread of 
punishment from any outside power or authority. The leaders 
there as well as elsewhere, where the} r have had full and com¬ 
plete sway, were in an eternal commotion, broil and strife 
among themselves about the public money or tho bartering 
away of high places. 

The members of the Legislature were among the most ignor¬ 
ant colored country people who could be used for any purposo 
by the artful and scliemy leaders. The officers of the State, 
tho Governor inclusive, were so corrupt that the stench of 
their corruption became so offensive at one timo that it was 
thought necessary by a still more corrupt Legislature, to in¬ 
vestigate some of them, to prevent a political epidemic from 
breaking out in their own party and destroying themselves. 
This stato of affairs continued, and was likely to continuo for 
years to come if the Conservative element of the State had 
not changed the principles of their party in such a manner as 
to conform as near as possiblo to the just and humane prin¬ 
ciples of the Republican party, inviting all citizens irrespect¬ 
ive of color or race, to assist in tho redemption of the Stato 
from ruin and destruction. This change, and the assurances 
pledged in good faith, by the best and most honorable citi¬ 
zens of the State, that every man, woman and child’s rights 
should bo protected and respected as guaranteed by the Con¬ 
stitution aud laws of tho land, and, that there should be no 
civil or political distinction in. the exercise and enjoyment of 
(heso rights, was the means of an instantaneous political 


FUTURE COURSE AND TOLICY OF TIIE COLORED rEOFLE. 


37 


cliango followed by a change of administration of the Govern¬ 
ment out of tho hands of a corrupt and plundering set of in¬ 
terlopers, to that of an honest and peaceful administration of 
the affairs of tho people. Tho Conservative native element 
hesitated long before they would consent to renounce their 
old effete dogma, “that this was a white man’s Government” and 
that universal suffrage as conferred upon the negro, was conira- 
ry to the original principles and spirit of American institutions 
as interpreted and gathered from the meaning and intention of 
the founders. For, while they did not care so much about a 
particular class voting, if that class could be so controlled as to 
vote with them, they knew that an acknowledgment of this 
right would also be an acknowledgment of everything incident 
to such privileges; and that the same class, while having tho 
right to vote, would also be entitled to be voted for. But after 
a long and persistent course to the contrary, they found that 
they could neither succeed nor carry out their principles, they 
at last changed their platform and principles so as to conform 
as near as possible to the principles of the Republican party 
in its doctrine of universal suffrage and equality before the 
law. When this change took place and the Conser natives layed 
aside every objectionable principle to the colored population, 
then also came a change of over thirty thousand votes in one 
campaign and a Conservative administration elected. This 
cliango of the political sentiment and principles of the nativo 
whites of South Carolina were looked upon by the more intel¬ 
ligent and honest colored men as a new emancipation from a 
political bondage that had oppressed them over since the right 
and privilege had been granted, and though they regretted tho 
deplorable condition to which tho State had been brought by 
tho party they supported, yet there was no other alternative for 
them but to continue to act with it as the best thoy could do 
under the circumstances. The change in South Carolina was 
unlike that which took place in Georgia four years beforo. In 
that State, there was no open declaration of a change of prin¬ 
ciple by the opposing party, for the reason that there was no 
urgent necessity demanding such a revolution in the political 
sentiment of the white population to save the State from a 
ruinous misrule. Again, the white population of Georgia has 
always outnumbered the colored, and if we consider the num- 





















































































































3S 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


ber of disqualified voters we will then find the proportion too 
small to be of any consequence in changing the general result 
in a fair political contest; and, if wo also consider the contin¬ 
ued removal of this disability from tho citizens by Congress 
year after year we can see at once that it could not have been 
very long, if from the offset the colored voters outnumbered 
the whites, before it would have been oven-balanced or a ma¬ 
jority in favor of the native whites. Cut the main cause of so 
complete success on the part of the Democratic party of Geor¬ 
gia was owing to the bad leadership of the Republican party in 
that State. They were a miserable cowardly set of unprinci¬ 
pled renegades, who, after the first defeat of the Republican 
party, deserted their ignorant followers and left them to tho 
tender mercies of their Democratic opponents, the consequence 
of which action was to place the State politically, where it 
could never be changed by the popular vote of an ignorant 
and illiterate majority. AVhat was needed in Georgia for tho 
promotion of Republican interest was intelligent and honest 
leaders to manage the political affairs of that class of Republi¬ 
cans who could only vote by signs and symbols. For it cannot 
bo denied, that at the time the State underwent a political 
change, tho native colored peoplo had but little to do with tho 
arrangement and direction of their political affairs, they being 
entrusted altogether to the carpet-baggers and scalawags who 
swarmed tho State immediately after their enfranchisement in 
search of ofiico and political plunder. When the colored peo¬ 
ple of Georgia found that they'had been deserted and sold by 
their treacherous leaders and tho party left demoralized and in 
ruiu, thousands took no more interest in it, but concluded to 
act for their own individual security. Therefore, to say that 
it was through fraud and intimidation altogether, that tho 
Democratic party succeeded in Georgia in carrying large Re¬ 
publican districts, is not true, although I would not pretend to 
say that there have not been instances of high-handed fraud 
perpetrated in that State as woll as all others. But I still con¬ 
tend that tbo principal cause of so general and complete suc¬ 
cess of the Democratic party in Georgia was desertion and 
Guilty criminal knowledge on the part of the leaders of the 
Republican party who wero in fear of the just punishment of 
the law for the crimes they had committed while in power. 


FUTURE COURSE AND FOLICY OF THE COLORED FEOFLE. 30 

The Republican Governor, Congressmen and State Legislators, 
left the State in disguise, or under cover of night, to parts un¬ 
known, leaving to represent them and the Republican party 
during their absence, a still more cowardly and sickly set of 
Federal office-holders who depended upon the Federal Govern¬ 
ment to protect them from all their imaginable horrors of the 
Ku-Klux-Klan. From this comparison of the situation of South 
Carolina and Georgia, it can be readily seen that there is a vast 
difference in their political condition. One had a two-thirds pop¬ 
ulation of colored to one of 'white, while the other was nearly 
balanced, or if anything the whites in the majority. Georgia 
made one fatal blunder in 1869, when she expelled the colored 
members from the Legislature on account of color and race, 
but this, though of Democratic origin, was not carried into ef¬ 
fect by them without the assistance and co-operation of a set 
of scalawags that had been sent there by negro votes. These 
scalawags entered into an agreement with the Democrats that 
they would absent themselves on a particular day set apart for 
the consideration of the question, and according to this agree¬ 
ment the colored members were left a hopeless minority in tho 
House. Thirty or forty members were at once denied the privi¬ 
lege of voting upon this question upon the common law 
grounds of interest, a species of injustice that has no prece¬ 
dent in equitable or criminal procedure; tho result was tho 
expulsion of every colored member but three—who claimed 
seven-eighths of white blood under a certain Georgia law. 

This injustice, perpetrated by the State Legislature, was 
promptly met by Congressional interference, and tho colored 
members reinstated. This put an end to all attempts to deny 
the colored citizens of'Georgia equal civil and political rights, 
and has been tho means of a complete recognition of every 
right in Georgia. As to Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and 
Louisiana, the political affairs in these States are in a better 
condition than the}' were a few years ago, but not altogether 
such as the country at large would like to see, for the general 
good, prosperity and peace of all. 




































' 








40 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


NOTE SIXTH. 


NOTE SIXTH RELATES TO THE CHANGE OP POLICY AND PRINCIPLE OF 
THE CONSERVATIVE TARTY, &C. 

As I have already stated that there is no other inducement 
or consideration upon which the colored voters of the South 
can feel themselves safe in leaving the Republican party to 
affiliate with any other political party of this country, except 
such party, or parties, embody into their platform and princi¬ 
ples the same equal, political and civil rights principles as are 
contained in the platform and doctrine of the Republican party, 
as well as giving such guarantee for the faithful observance 
of the same for the future. If they are citizens, then they claim 
those rights that are incident to citizenship, and no more. Such 
rights are indispensible to them as a free people in a Republi¬ 
can government, for their own security and preservation. It is 
the desire of every intelligent colored man that there should be 
peace and good will existing between the races of the South, 
and that everything that can be done ought to be done to bring 
about a more prosperous condition of affairs in the country 
generally. Ten years of political slavery to one party has done 
nothing but produce conflict after conflict, and kept the States 
in a disordered and unsettled condition, producing almost gen¬ 
eral poverty to the one class. Thousands of colored men have 
had to undergo a suffering and privation that is impossible to 
be described on account of the political conflicts between the 
two races, to say nothing about the continued anxiety and 
alarm the whole country has been subjected to on account of 
the threatening aspect of affairs. To say that these conflicts 
can continue much longer without producing some permanent 
injury to the country, is a mistake and a delusion; for an evil 
must come out of so much political disorder, and produce 
strife between two distinct classes of citizens inhabiting the 
same country; and in the event of such a result, from such a 
cause, the weaker and more ignorant class must succomb to the 
stronger and more intelligent. Yet there is no necessity for 


CONSERVATIVE PARTY—CHANGE OF POLICY, &('. 


41 


such a calamity to befall the country as a war of races, if the 
right steps are taken to restore confidence and good faith, and 
the revival of that good relation that has heretofore existed be¬ 
tween the white and colored people of tho South. We all 
heartily wish for a peaceful solution of these difficulties and tho 
permanent settlement of every question that has heretofore 
agitated the country in regard to the negro. For which reason 
I heartily endoi se, and concur in, President Hayes’ Southern 
policy, as the best and only way out of this political wilder¬ 
ness. I have no fears about the result of that policy, politi¬ 
cally; for, if it does not make the political condition of aftairs 
in these States any better, I am certain it will make them no 
worse. For we find, year after year, the sentiment of tho 
co.untry changing upon this question as fast as tho feeling 
engendered by the war became cooler and more passive. For 
while the American people, from a sense of justice and human¬ 
ity, are determined that no part of the Constitution shall bo 
infringed by any section of this vast Republic, or that any citi¬ 
zen shall be illegally deprived of his freedom and such rights 
as are guaranteed by the laws thereof, yet they cannot afford 
to allow a state of civil disorder and political strife to continue 
in a particular section of the country, to the manifest injury of 
the whole, and which at times have had an alarming tendency 
of encroaching upon the very fundamental principles of tho 
Government by the constant use of the military power for tho 
settling of political disputes. The negroes have been the hobby¬ 
horses and beasts of burden long enough to have rest. They 
have grown lean, and have been brought almost to the very 
verge of starvation, while being used as political donkies for tho 
services of a few artful and crafty politicians. They have been 
made the political slaves and dupes of a set of unprincipled 
renegades long enough, who have never, from the very begin- 
iDg, had any other object in view but the furtherance of their 
own personal interest, at the expense of every interest of the 
colored man. I contend that, if the colored people are citizens 
by law, then the law faithfully administered is sufficient to pro¬ 
tect them in the enjoyment of their rights as citizens. They 
must become men sooner or later in the transaction of their 
own affairs, and all fears and imaginary wrongs that thoy have 
been led to believe will come upon them when the speculating 



































































. 

. 



































42 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


carpet-bagger leaves, must be discarded as unmitigated false¬ 
hoods, invented for a purpose. They must understand that 
their liberties aro not to be propped up and maintained by the 
military power of the Government as long as the doors of tho 
court-houses aro open, and they, in common with all other citi¬ 
zens, have a perfect and undeniable right to enter and have 
every light enforced and every wrong redressed. They have 
been mad 3 to believe too many stories as to their future treat¬ 
ment in case of a change in the administration and policy of 
the government, evincing, in my judgment, a spirit that shows 
an iuvolunlary conscientiousness of their own unfitness for the 
duties and responsibilities of citizenship; and as long as they 
are lead in a solid mass, as so many slaves who dare not cross 
the party line, just so long will they be kept in poverty and 
ignorance, to be used as political tools for creating strife and 
mischief to themselves. Every other class of citizens in this 
country seem to be in a thriving condition, and prospering in 
every conceivable way, except the colored population; and it is 
not because these other classes aro so much more intelligent 
and industrious than the colored element, but because they do 
not concern themselves so much about politics and office-seek¬ 
ing; nor are they led in solid masses against any particular 
party. For instance, the Germen, Irish, French, and even tho 
Jews—though they are united in every other respect from reli¬ 
gious principles—aro often divided in their political opinions; 
and this is the case with all other classes of citizens except the 
colored race, who are wedded to one particular party, tho 
consequence of which action, has been to keep themselves 
behind every other race in prosperity and usefulness. 

They are still slaves in fact, without any judgment or will of 
their own. They submit to every condition of a slavish party 
without a murmer, and ratify every bargain that is made by 
the so-called leaders without questioning for one moment its 
propriety or expediency. They have been voting for, ami sus¬ 
taining in office, a set of strangers and interlopers for ten years 
without receiving any more recognition than the same services 
would have been rewarded by the Democratic or any other po¬ 
litical organization. The best and most intelligent colored men 
have been kept down, shoved out, and shown tho cold shoul¬ 
der and denied every opportunity to do their own people a ser- 


CONSERVATIVE TARTY--CHANGE OF TOLICY, kC. 


43 


• vice or to represent them in any high position that came direct 
from the appointing power. They have been told year after 
year that it was not time for such things, but in times of politi¬ 
cal campaigns they have been led into slaughter pens and left 
to'bo murdered by an infuriated mob of violent men while try¬ 
ing to support or defend some cowardly leader, resulting some¬ 
times in the loss of their own lives and the starvation of their 
families. Thus a war has been kept up for nearly ten years 
between the races of the South that has had a tendency of pro- 
. ducing a state of disorder and strife, which, if continued, can¬ 
not but impoverish and ruin tho colored population for all time 
to come. There must be a change of sentiment, habit and 
conduct, in order to bring the country back to its former con¬ 
dition of prosperity, as well as for the peace, happiness and se¬ 
curity of all classes of citizens. The colored and white citi¬ 
zens of these States must act together in the future for tho 
establishment and promotion of good government, and that, too, 
without so much regard to party names or political thieves. 
A new and independent departure is needed, or a general re¬ 
formation in the doctrine and principles in the present parlies 
ought to take place sooner or later, and such principles estab¬ 
lished and maintained as shall insure tho support and co-opera¬ 
tion of any citizen, without regard to color or previous condi¬ 
tion. The color line must be obliterated, party slavery abol¬ 
ished, and every citizen must be allowed, without fear, intimida¬ 
tion or molestation, to act upon his own j udgment or conscien¬ 
tious conviction, no matter what party his judgment or interest 
may incline him to support. For common sense and ten years 
of experience, has well demonstrated this fact, that the pe¬ 
culiar situation of the cblored people in a government liko tho 
United States, make it necessary for them to give up all attempts 
to be a distinct ruling class in any State or community—no mat¬ 
ter how largely they may preponderate in population; for such 
attempts will always, as they have heretofore done, produce 
nothing but mischief and crime, and be the sure means of re¬ 
tarding their progress in the attainment of a higher standard of 
citizenship. 



















u 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM, 


NOTE SEVENTH. 


NOTE SEVENTH RELATES TO PRESIDENT HAYES* SOUTHERN POLICY. 

Whatever may be the opinion of certain Southern Radical 
politicians regarding the President’s Southern policy, as a de¬ 
parture from the principles of the party that elected him to 
office, there can be no doubt that such a course will ultimately 
result in the pacification of our present troubles, and the es¬ 
tablishment of a permanent peace and good order to the whole 
country. 

Speculating politicians can read at a moment’s glance this 
awful mandate and handwriting upon the wall, that tells them 
in unmistakable language, that they must, sooner or later, givo 
way to this righteous judgment against their further attempts 
to rule this section by the aid of military power. It is the 
death knell and funeral requiem to that imported stock of Fed¬ 
eral office-holders who have heretofore occupied every place of 
profit or fee as if upon principles of feodal tenure or Roman 
conquest, such as is not known to any principle of free govern¬ 
ment, and for this reason, if no other, they have a perfect right 
to complain of such a policy as contrary to their present inter¬ 
ests. 

If I considered that such a policy had a tendency of injur¬ 
ing the colored people of the South, and retarding their pro¬ 
gress in the attainment of intellectual culture, wealth and gen¬ 
eral prosperity, I would oppose it as an unjust course toward 
them, but it cannot have such a tendency under the circum¬ 
stances. The situation of the colored population in thoso 
States cannot be made any worso than what it is at present. 
They need now an emancipation from a political bondage, as 
much as they needed twelve years ago au emancipation from 
civil slavery, as well as a chance to become men and citizens in 
fact, under the laws and Constitution of the United States. 

Every attempt at force 1ms failed to restore order in those 
States; Ihe'people only have submitted while Federal soldiers 


PRESIDENT HAYES* SOUTHERN POLICY. 


45 


were quartered in their midst, and bristling bayonets told them 
of their departed liberties and the establishment of despotism. 
For with a patience made invincible by eternal hate, they have 
manifested a determination to have no peace, save that which 
comes from the free expression of the people to regulate and 
control their own domestic affairs of the States, without tho 
interference of the Federal Government. 

I consider the President’s course as a fitting test to try the sin¬ 
cerity of all those loud-mouthed politicians that have heretofore 
preached equal rights and an unswerving devotion to principles 
If they are honest they will still remain among us, regardless of 
office or political influence, and become in fact citizens identified 
with, as well as interested in, the growth and prosperity of the 
country. But I have my doubts and a different opinion of the 
majority of those who have heretofore held office under what 
may be rightly termed military tenure, for whenever their po¬ 
litical interest shall cease, and the chance to speculate in poli¬ 
tics shall have ended, then their mission among us will end 
also. I speak here of the wily politicians, aud not of those 
honest Northern men who have seen fit to settle among us with 
honest motives; we welcome them, and I am confident that I 
speak the sentiment of all, when I say wo welcome them in 
our midst, no matter what may bo their political opinions. 
President Hayes could not have done otherwise as a states¬ 
man and patriot, than to take the military props from under the 
State Governments of Louisiana and South Carolina, or re¬ 
mand them back to a territorial condition. He had sufficient 
guaranty that the peace should bo kept, that there should be 
no violent acts committed, nor any right of the colored people 
infringed, but that the contest should be in a civil way before 
the courts. This was all that he could exact from the contend¬ 
ing parties, and all he had authority to demand. • The result so 
far has proven satisfactory to all lovers of peace and order, 
and no doubt will bring about a lasting prosperity to all classes 
of citizens. 

The South has it in her power now to show the Northern 
portion of this country that she has accepted in good faith 
every amendment to the Constitution, and that every right of 
her colored citizens shall be protected and enforced. Tho 
President’s policy is an opportunity offered for the establish- 


























































































40 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


ment of friendly relations between all classes, and the total 
abolition of the color line; the beginning of a negotiation that 
will restore confidence and faith, where doubts and fears have 
heretofore controlled the mind and actuated the judgment. 
"While this Southern policy of President Hayes will have a de¬ 
cided tendency to cool the political ambition of the colored 
people, and to dispel their visionary notions of honor and fame 
through political conquest, it will undoubtedly direct them to 
nobler and more useful fields of occupation, and be the com¬ 
mencement of an industrial and intellectual career, that will fit 
them in a few years more properly for the exercise and enjoy¬ 
ment of every high privilege belonging to freemen, as well as 
the discharge of every important duty and responsibiity of citi¬ 
zens of the United States. 

The political warfare in which they have been engaged for 
the past ten years as common privates, or indigent mercena¬ 
ries, has done nothing toward their general improvement intel¬ 
lectually, but, on the contrary, it has had a powerful influence 
in bringing about a demoralization to the whole race, that can 
only be successfully arrested by the merciful intervention of 
providence. No doubt the elective franchise was bestowed 
upon the freedmen of the South for their protection, and to be 
exercised with judgment, and possibly with intelligence, but 
every year has demonstrated the fact, that this inestimiable 
boon has been subverted through the wicked machinations 
of artful and crafty politicians, iu a manner that has retarded 
their progress in everything that pertained to their moral and 
intellectual culture. What then should be the future course 
and policy of the colored population, viewing the situation from 
the present aspect of affairs, that is, if the President’s policy 
should have a tendency of placing these State Governments 
into the hands of a political party that they have heretofore 
opposed. Does not every consideration of duty tell them in 
plain and unmistakable language, to turn their attentions imme¬ 
diately to those things that shall fit them and enable them to 
discharge more properly the duties pertaining to their own indi¬ 
vidual interests as well as those of members of their society ? 

Unless our people become more intelligent than what thov 
arc, as a mass, they need not expect much recognition as a 
political body in a Ilepublie like this of the Uuited States, 


PRESIDENT HAYES* SOUTHERN POLICY. 


17 


where virtue, morality and intelligence will, in the future, bo 
the pre-requisites to every honorable station among the people. 

The way and manner in which the colored people of the 
South have been led and controlled in politics by the interlopers 
and adventurers in the past, has been entirely against their in¬ 
terest in every respect. They did not see it at the first, but every 
year has proven it to be a fact beyond a reasonable doubt. It 
has been the means of causing them to neglect every opportu¬ 
nity of educating themselves. It has produced a state of thrift¬ 
lessness, indolence and vagrancy, unnatural to the colored race, 
and in contra-distinction to one of their principal characteristics. 
Being blinded with ignorant infatuation aud ideal political 
zeal, they have been made to believe that education and intelli¬ 
gence are of no consequence to a people. . For, having seen 
that they enjoy the same rights and privileges that the educa¬ 
ted and intelligent enjoy, without these qualifications, they 
have become arrogant in these false notions, and have neglected 
everything pertaining to their intellectual and moral culture, to 
say nothing of the idle aud lazy habits they have fallen into 
from an unwise indulgence in political matters. 

What intelligent man is there, with a spark of common 
decency and propriety left, that has not been disgusted at the 
political farce and humbug of exercising the right of suffrage 
in times of elections among the colored people in the rural dis¬ 
tricts, and in the same proportion in the towns aud cities ? The 
amount of ignorance and stupidity shown on almost every 
occasion; the want of judgment and common sense to declare 
their own will, has, indeed, made universal suffrage doubtful 
and dangerous as a right, without some kind of qualification. 
It was this view of the situation that caused, and has continued, 
the great contest between the Southern whites, the colored peo¬ 
ple, and the carpet-baggers in these States, and the prolific 
source of all the corruption and misgovernment that this sec¬ 
tion has been subjected to since the day of reconstruction. 
Therefore if the President’s policy does nothing else but restore 
peace and order to tli6 country, and insure a more honest and 
faithful administration of affairs to this section, regardless of 
parties or politics, the people will be benefitted. I have no 
doubt, that if the people will exercise wisdom and judgment, 
instead of being actuated by passion and predjudice, with the 






























































































48 


SOUTHERN REPUBLICANISM. 


assistance of a neutral administration, tlie South will enter upon 
a new prosperity and progressiveness that will place her upon 
an equal footing with any other section of the Union. It is 
this that she needs at this present time, to resuscitate and give 
her new life for the prosecution of her future mission. Politi¬ 
cal wrangles, nor the continued disputes and squabbles about 
office and place, will do nothing toward bringing about that de¬ 
sired prosperity that we so much need; but on the contrary, it 
will continue to do that which it has been doing for the past 
ten years—destroying every incentive or inducement among the 
people to engage in industrial pursuits, or to improve them¬ 
selves morally and intellectually. It will continue a State of 
disorder and violence that will eventually end in the destruction 
of the very foundation of civil society, and leave us with a 
standing army and a military despotism as the the only con¬ 
servatories of the peace. As it is an undeniable fact that the 
existence and perpetuation of the institution of slavery in 
these States was based upon ignorance and a want of moral 
courage among the people so held in servitude; and as the the¬ 
ory of regulating that institution and preventing it from clash¬ 
ing and coming in conflict with, and contaminating the funda¬ 
mental principles ot our Republican institutions, was consid¬ 
ered the highest ability of Southern statesmanship, so intelli¬ 
gence, morality, and a just pride for the maintainance and per¬ 
petuation of every right and privilege of freemen, are the only 
means that will destroy predjudice and caste, and demand that 
recognition among all the people, irrespective of color, that 
our race are entitled to as citizens of the United States. The 
people care but little who occupy the offices or sit in high 
places, so that the laws are faithfully and-impartially executed, 
and the Government honestly administered in the interest of 
the people, and for the prosperity of the whole country. Poli¬ 
ticians and office-seekers will always preach this, that and the 
other, for selfish purposes and to carry their points; they are 
all capable of turning to suit the wind and tide, and the greater 
the politician, the greater his elasticity for extending or re¬ 
bounding in principles or doctrine, and the sooner the majori¬ 
ty of these Post BeUum political toads that infest almost every 
community' are consigned their proper places in society the 
better it will be for the whole country. As I have heretofore 


said, I endorse and concur with Mr. Hayes in liis South 
ern policy upon patriotic principles alone, and because /know 
o other course that he can pursue, that will bring about that 
peace and order that we so much need in this sectio^or lt 
security and protection of the rights of citizens. 


























































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